One of the toughest issues a Pagan organization has to face is the matter of values.

Any public Pagan organization represents the Pagan Community, whether they like it or not, and will eventually feel the pressure to improve the public perception of the Pagan Community. This can only be done by promoting and defending values, which is a very dicey matter, even outside of the Pagan Community. We've watched the authority of Christian organizations erode because they set standards that their members-- and sometimes even their leaders-- can't (or, more to the point, won't) meet. We've seen other Christian organizations attacked because they don't set high enough standards.

In Paganism, the issue is especially delicate. According to stereotypes, Pagans have selfish, shallow, or naïve values: they have no sense of propriety and delight in foisting their hedonistic lifestyle on others. If they're aware they're making others uncomfortable, they're probably enjoying it. They spout a "fluffy bunny" belief system, take no responsibility for their actions, and are very easy to offend. This image has to be corrected if we're going to continue making progress towards mainstream acceptance.

Of course, there are Pagan Values. They are among the things that bind us together as a culture, but there are so very few that we all share that it makes the issue of declaring Pagan Values a very sticky one. We pretty much all agree that you can't shoot someone because you don't like his haircut, but try to tackle an issue like Abortion, Sexuality, or Gender Roles... you'll be eaten alive.

Once you start trying to draw the line for the entire Pagan Community, you're setting yourself up to be crucified. If you draw the line too broadly, you'll be attacked for pushing a weak set of values. If you draw the line too tightly, you've become a Fundamentalist Pagan trying to control people's lives. And just to make matters worse, wherever you draw the line, somebody's going to consider it too broad, too restrictive, phrased poorly, or some combination of the three. Plus you're trying to either speak for the entire Pagan Community (which is impossible to do without qualifying every third word), or tell them what to do (which is a good way to get shot by your own troops).

All of this makes it seem as if although most of us have a well-thought out set of morals and values, we should do nothing to promote them among the Pagan Community, and should not represent them as Pagan Values. This is, of course, unacceptable, but fortunately, it's also untrue.

Just because you celebrate diversity doesn't mean you have to give up your individual values, or your right to state your opinion. But you can do this without dictating your values to anyone else. A Pagan organization has a right-- and in my opinion, a responsibility-- to determine what is acceptable behavior in any function of that organization. Many organizations even have an established set of Core Values. But these values are specific to the Organization and its functions.

Of course, it's tricky-- once they set the values, they have to both live by them themselves and enforce them at their events. They have to stand up to the Entitlists who think it's their right to light up a crack pipe in front of children, recovering addicts, and news cameras. They'll annoy a few people on the way, but if they can do it, they'll attract people who share their values, create an environment that fosters their values, and represent the Community in a way that reflects those values.

Nobody can dictate the values of the Pagan Community-- but nobody can dictate values to an individual Pagan or a Pagan organization, either. And nobody can tell you that you can't talk about them. Live your values-- celebrate them. It may not be our only option-- but it's the only one that works.

© 2003 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp